Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures

Transcription

1 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures

2 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures 1. Purpose Open Awards is committed to ensuring access to fair assessment for all learners and to protecting the integrity of the award of credit and qualifications. There may be circumstances whereby arrangements need to be made to take account of particular learners requirements in order to ensure that this is achieved without giving any unfair advantage over other learners. The Policy sets out the principles which should be followed when making decisions about adjustments to assessment. It outlines Open Awards reasonable steps to ensure it avoids disadvantage (directly or indirectly) in line with the requirements of The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations This document replaces all previous Access to Fair Assessment policies from the operative date. 2. Scope This document is applicable for the following Open Awards products: Ofqual regulated qualifications and units Access to HE Diplomas Quality Endorsed Courses Badge of Excellence 3. Regulatory Authorities The relevant regulatory authorities are Ofqual and the Quality Assurance Agency for HE (QAA). Every attempt has been made to ensure that the provisions of this document are consistent with the requirements of the regulatory authorities. Where the requirements of a regulatory authority change, or where inadvertently these procedures conflict with those of the regulatory authority, the latter shall apply. Where the requirements of the regulatory authority are amended and require changes to this document, such changes will be made as soon as practicable and Open Awards will inform centres accordingly. 4. Audience This document is for use by the following: users of Open Awards, including learners, who are delivering or registered on Open Awards approved qualifications Page 2 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

3 Open Awards staff. 5. Definition[s] Reasonable Adjustment Any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places a learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable Adjustments are adjustments made to an assessment for a qualification so as to enable a disabled Learner to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills and understanding to the levels of attainment required by the specification for that qualification. Reasonable adjustments must not affect the reliability or validity of the assessment outcomes but may involve: Changing the usual assessment arrangements, e.g. allowing a learner extra time to complete an assessment activity Adapting assessment materials e.g. by providing large print or providing materials in Braille Providing assistance during an assessment e.g. by providing a trained signer, interpreter or a reader Changing the assessment method e.g. from a written assessment to a spoken assessment Using assisted technology such as screen reading or a voice activated software. Reasonable adjustments must be approved and set in place before the assessment takes place. The work produced by the learner will be assessed in the same way as all other learners. Special Considerations Adjustments which may be applied after an assessment where the learner has encountered exceptional circumstances that have disadvantaged them during their assessment. A learner may be eligible for special consideration if their performance in an assessment has been, or is likely to have been, affected by mitigating or adverse circumstances beyond their control. e.g. an illness or injury, or some other event outside of the Learner s control, which has had, or is reasonably likely to have had, a material effect on that Learner s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment. Special consideration is not appropriate for a minor illness or a minor disturbance. Page 3 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

4 6. Responsibility of centres A Centre must take all reasonable steps to ensure that all staff involved in the management, assessment and quality assurance of Open Awards qualifications and units are fully aware of the contents of this policy. All approved Open Awards Centres have a duty to ensure the rights of individual learners to access qualifications, units and assessments in a way most appropriate for their individual needs are upheld. The Centre must ensure that it creates, at all times, an inclusive assessment process that adheres to disability and equal opportunity legislation and other regulatory criteria whilst ensure that standards of assessment are maintained. When considering reasonable adjustments, the Centre should first check whether permission needs to be obtained from Open Awards (please refer to the Permissions Table (SECTION 8). If you are unsure whether permission is required, please contact Open Awards for advice. In cases where the Centre has applied reasonable adjustments or special considerations, records must be kept for at least 3 years from the end of the year to which they relate. Where reasonable adjustments have been agreed, centres should make the learner evidence available to Open Awards Lead Quality Reviewers, External Quality Assurers and Moderators to be included as part of their representative sample. This applies equally to centres that benefit from Direct Claims Status. 7. Reasonable Adjustments Policy Statement Open Awards is committed to ensuring the rights of individual learners to access qualifications, units and assessments in a way most appropriate for their individual needs and to enable them to demonstrate their achievements. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring that the integrity of our qualifications, units and assessment is maintained at all times. Open Awards encourages Centres to adopt, at all times, inclusive assessment processes that adhere to disability and equal opportunity legislation and other regulatory criteria without compromising standards of assessment or giving any unfair advantage over other learners. We ensure that our centres consider a variety of suitable assessment methods as good practice, taking into consideration its learners. In cases where a qualification is inaccessible because of a learner s inability to demonstrate competence in all units of the qualification, credit will be awarded for all units for which competence has been demonstrated. Open Awards treats all records of reasonable adjustments and special consideration Page 4 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

5 requests and agreements in confidence. Different types of assessment make different demands on learners and will influence whether reasonable adjustments will be needed and the kind of suitable reasonable adjustment which may be put in place. The adjustments that are appropriate for a particular assessment will depend upon: the specific assessment demands of the qualification/unit the type of assessment the particular needs and circumstances of the individual learner. 7.1 Types of assessment Assessments which are not taken under Controlled Examination Conditions These types of assessment form the basis of the majority of Open Awards assessment activity. They allow the centre to have greater flexibility, to be responsive to an individual learner s needs and to choose assessment strategies, activities and methods that will best allow the learner to demonstrate attainment. These may include for example: Coursework Set assessments which are researched in the learners own time Assessment activities which are devised by the centre Observation Question and Answer Assessments where the learner has to collect evidence in order to demonstrate competence. In this type of assessment the learner may meet the specified assessment criteria for a unit in any way that is valid. To enable access where there is evidence of need, the centre may allow the learner to use any mechanical, electronic or other aids in order to demonstrate achievement as long as the aids: are generally commercially available reflect the learners normal way of working enable the learner to meet the specified criteria do not give the learner an unfair advantage. Open Awards encourages its centres to: adopt a flexible approach in identifying alternative ways of achieving the assessment criteria for a unit present assessment materials or documents in a way that reflects a learners normal way of working allow learners to present their answers or evidence in any format as long as it enables them to demonstrate that they have met the assessment criteria consider the benefits of being able to vary the assessment methods and Page 5 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

6 choose the most appropriate way of obtaining evidence when a learner is first accepted onto a course contact Open Awards to discuss alternative arrangements that may be appropriate for specific situations. The outcomes produced by learners must at all times: meet the requirements of the specifications regardless of the process or method used be as rigorous as assessment methods used with other learners be accessible be subject to the same verification processes as all other evidence. Assessments taken under Exam Conditions In situations where the learner is given set assessment materials and must complete the task in a fixed amount of time, there may be a greater need for adjustments to standard assessment arrangements in order to give access. In such instances, centres must obtain approval from Open Awards before the assessment is planned to take place. 7.2 Identification of Learners who are eligible for Reasonable Adjustments Any adjustment to an assessment activity will be based on what the learner needs to access the assessment. Below are some examples of learner needs that may be adjustments to assessments. This list is not exhaustive and it should be noted that some learner needs will fall within more than one of the categories set out below: Communication and interaction needs Cognition and learning needs Sensory and physical needs Behavioural, emotional and social needs The learner will be eligible for reasonable adjustments if their performance during an assessment is likely to be substantially affected by a particular impairment. Many of these learners will be defined as being disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the Equality Act An adjustment to assessment should only be considered where the difficulty experienced places the learner at a substantial disadvantage, in comparison with persons who are not disabled. Where the difficulty is minor, the centre should assist the learner by offering help with study and assessment skills. A learner does not necessarily have to be disabled (as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Equality Act 2010) to be entitled to reasonable adjustments to assessment. Every learner who is disabled will also not necessarily be entitled to or need an adjustment to assessment. The learner may have developed coping mechanisms which minimise or remove the need for assistance. Page 6 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

7 7.3 Identifying and Obtaining Supporting Evidence In order to ensure that any adjustment to assessment will only provide the learner with the necessary assistance without giving him or her an unfair advantage over others, the centre must be clear about the extent to which the learner is affected by the disability or difficulty. Where the centre can verify supporting evidence of the disability or difficulty and where the implications are clear, such as for a learner with physical difficulties, profound hearing impairment or who are registered as blind or partially sighted, the centre does not need to provide further evidence of these physical difficulties. Where the implications of the difficulty are not obvious, such as for identified learning difficulties, or mental health difficulties, the centre will need to provide additional evidence of the effect of the impairment on the learner s performance in the assessment. The centre should decide which evidence will best assist understanding of the learner s circumstances: Evidence of assessment of the learner s needs in relation to the particular assessment, made within the centre by the relevant member of staff with competence and responsibility in this area; staff include learning support staff, teaching staff, trainers, assessors and other specialist staff. If necessary, external experts may be called upon to assess the learner. This evidence should include an indication of how the centre plans to meet the learner s needs and should show that the learner can cope with the level and content of the assessment. The evidence should be documented for audit purposes. Information from previous centres attended by the learner may also be included History of provision within the centre. This should include information about the support received by the learner during the learning or training programme and during formative assessments. Evidence of the way in which the learner s needs are being met during the learning programme should be documented for audit purposes Written evidence produced by independent, authoritative, specialists. This could take the form of medical, psychological or professional reports or assessments. These reports should state the name, title and professional credentials of the person who wrote the report. The report should set out the nature of the difficulty and extent to which the learner is affected by the difficulty, including the effects of any medication that the learner may be taking. In cases where it might be expected that there could be changes in the way the learner is affected by the difficulty, there will have to be recent and relevant evidence of assessments and consultations carried out by an independent expert A learner with a Statement of Special Educational Need does not automatically qualify for reasonable adjustments. The demands of the unit should be taken into Page 7 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

8 account. The reasons for the statement may have only limited effect on achievement in the assessment. It is the centre s responsibility to ensure that all applications for reasonable adjustments are based on the individual need of the learner and that the evidence in support of the application is sufficient, reliable and valid. A centre should maintain records of all cases for audit purposes and to monitor the effectiveness of the reasonable adjustments which have been made. 8. Permission to use Reasonable Adjustments The following table outlines the most commonly requested Reasonable Adjustments. This list is not exhaustive and Centres are advised to seek approval from Open Awards for other arrangements that may be required, or where they do not feel they have the necessary expertise to judge whether a Reasonable Adjustment is either needed or should be applied. Reasonable Adjustment Assessments NOT externally set and NOT taken under examination or Controlled Conditions Assessments are externally set and taken under examination or Controlled Conditions 1 Extra time up to 25% Centre Open Awards Extra time in excess of 25% Centre Open Awards Supervised rest breaks Centre Open Awards Change in the organisation of the assessment room Centre Centre Separate accommodation within the centre Centre Centre Taking the assessment at an alternative venue Centre Centre Use of coloured overlays, low vision aids, Centre Open Awards tinted spectacles, CCTV and OCR scanners Use of assistive software Centre 2 Open Awards Use of bilingual and bilingual translation dictionaries Centre 3 Open Awards Assessment material in enlarged format Centre Open Awards Assessment material in Braille Centre Open Awards Language modified assessment material Centre Open Awards Assessment material in BSL Centre Open Awards Assessment material on coloured paper Centre Open Awards Assessment material in audit format Centre Open Awards Use of ICT Centre 4 Open Awards Responses using electronic devices Centre Open Awards Responses in Braille Centre Open Awards Reader Centre Open Awards Amanuensis (scribe) Centre Open Awards BSL/English interpreter Centre Open Awards Prompter Centre Open Awards Practical assistant Open Awards Open Awards Transcriber Centre Open Awards 1 Controlled Conditions are those under Tutor/Assessor supervision. 2 Except where the qualification assessment guidance prohibits the use of ICT. 3 Use of bilingual dictionaries must not compromise the validity of assessment outcomes. 4 Except where the qualification assessment guidance prohibits the use of ICT. Page 8 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

9 Any adjustment to assessment must not invalidate the assessment requirements or the qualification or the requirements of the assessment strategy. Some arrangements may still not be possible if it is judged that competence standards may be compromised. Centres should complete the appropriate form and follow the procedures and timescales as indicated on the form to record the requests. Reasonable adjustments made at the discretion of the centre. Reasonable adjustments requiring Open Awards permission. Form RA1 Form RA2 8.1 Reasonable Adjustments that can be made at the discretion of the Centre Centres should complete Open Awards Form RA1 for each for each adjustment to assessment where the permissions table above states that reasonable adjustments can be made at the discretion of the centre. 8.2 Reasonable Adjustments which require permission from Open Awards Where the permissions table above shows that the centre must seek permission from Open Awards (or for cases not included within the table), the Centre must apply on behalf of the learners by completing Form RA2 and uploading via the Secure Portal. The form must be submitted as soon as possible after the need has been identified and in any event at least 20 working days before the assessment is due to take place. For Functional Skills, Form RA2 must be submitted to Open Awards at the time of registration at the latest. For short courses lasting less than 20 working days, Centres are advised to complete Form RA2 as soon as possible. Open Awards will respond to any requests to provide special versions of externally set and externally marked assessment materials (including examinations) e.g. in Braille or sans serif font (for registered dyslexics). Other examples would include 18- point bold or A3 enlargement of A4 papers. Requests for Braille translations must be submitted at least 30 working days prior to the learner undertaking the assessment. 8.3 Monitoring of use of Reasonable Adjustments Open Awards will monitor all requests for reasonable adjustments made by its centres. Page 9 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

10 Open Awards recognises that where requests for a reasonable adjustment occur repeatedly and overtime, it may indicate that a unit needs to be reviewed in order to ensure the inclusiveness of its design. Therefore monitoring of all requests will be undertaken and considered through the unit review and validity audit process. Open Awards will monitor and report on the use of any access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special considerations to the Regulator as required. 8.4 Language of assessment Open Awards will provide qualification guides and assessment materials/guidance that are expressed in English for use by learners/tutors. Where appropriate we will consider providing qualification guides and assessment materials/guidance in Welsh or Irish (Gaelige) upon request and by prior arrangement. If a centre wishes to assess learners in Welsh or Irish (Gaelige) then this must be notified to Open Awards at the point of registration. Open Awards require sufficient notice to ensure that any assessment carried out in languages other than English is comparable. Open Awards will conduct all activities in English but may access a translator facility in the conduct of Quality Assurance. Verification will be supported by a translator and verification and reporting will be conducted in English. Training, standardisation and centre guidance materials will be made available in English. 9. Special Considerations Policy Statement A request for Special Consideration must be unique to each learner or assessment. A learner will be eligible for Special Consideration if they have been fully prepared and have covered the whole unit or series of units but performance in an assessment is affected by adverse circumstances outside of their control. It is important to note that it may not be possible to apply special consideration where: An assessment requires the demonstration of a practical competence The assessment criteria have to be fully met Unit(s) confer license to practice. Where an assessment has been missed or is in the form of an on-demand test, such as an electronic test set and marked by computer, the centre should offer the learner an opportunity to take the test at a later date/series. Open Awards will ensure that any special considerations claimed: do not confer an unfair advantage over other learners do not mislead users about level and extent of attainment Page 10 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

11 do not compromise the integrity or credibility of the unit(s), for the learner concerned or for other learners are clearly tracked for audit purposes, with all supporting documentation where appropriate. Mitigating/adverse circumstance(s) that could result in the need for Special Considerations to be made may include: temporary illness or accident/injury at the time of the assessment bereavement at the time of the assessment domestic crisis arising at the time of the assessment serious disturbance during the assessment other accidental events, such as being given the wrong assessment failure by the centre or Open Awards to implement previously agreed access arrangements. Learners will not be eligible for special consideration if preparation for or performance in the assessment is affected by: Long term illness or other difficulties during the course affecting revision time, unless the illness or circumstances manifest themselves also during the assessment Bereavement occurring more than six months before the assessment, unless an anniversary has been reached or there are ongoing implications such as inquests or court cases Domestic inconvenience such as moving house, lack of facilities or taking holidays at the time of the assessment Minor disturbances during the assessment, eg a mobile phone ringing or a badly behaved learner. 9.1 Applying for Special Considerations The centre must inform Open Awards of any requests for special consideration within 48 hours of becoming aware of the mitigating/adverse circumstances occurring. The centre should complete form SC1 Request for Special Consideration form, and return it to Open Awards together with any supporting evidence or documentation within seven working days of the end of the assessment period. A separate form should normally be completed for each learner for each unit or qualification. However, in cases where a group of learners has been disadvantaged by a particular event (for example a fire alarm) a single form should be submitted. A list of learners affected should be attached to the form. Open Awards will consider each case on its individual merits and inform the centre of its decision within five working days. If the application for Special Consideration is successful, the learner s performance will be reviewed in the light of available evidence. It should be noted that a successful application of Special Consideration will not necessarily change a Page 11 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

12 learner s results. 10. Record keeping and monitoring Centres must keep records for audit purposes for all cases where they have allowed learners to have Reasonable Adjustments. Where Centres have made Reasonable Adjustments at their discretion, they are obliged to make the following documents available to Open Awards for each Reasonable Adjustment made: Completed FORM RA1: Record of Reasonable Adjustment made at the discretion of the Centre Modified assessment materials Evidence of learner need Assessment evidence produced by the learner Internal verification records of the assessment decision Evidence that the outcomes of the adjusted assessment have been subject to rigorous internal verification and included in any standardisation activities undertaken for the unit These records are classed as assessment records and should be kept for at least 3 years from the end of the year to which they relate. The Open Awards External Quality Assurer will include the work of learners for whom reasonable adjustments have been made as part of their representative sampling activity. This is to confirm that the adjustments to assessments have been made in accordance with the guidelines in this document, and that: there is evidence of need on file the modification to the task does not confer any unfair advantage on the learner the modifications and assessment decisions have been subjected to a rigorous internal verification process including internal standardisation the award of credit and or qualifications to the learner is secure Where the Centre has applied to Open Awards for approval to make Reasonable Adjustments, they should retain: a completed copy of Form RA2 all supporting evidence sent to Open Awards all relevant documentation received from Open Awards. These records are classed as assessment records and should be kept for at least 3 years from the end of the year to which they relate. Open Awards monitors all requests for Reasonable Adjustments made by its Centres and recognises that repeated Reasonable Adjustment requests may indicate that a qualification or unit needs to be reviewed in order to ensure its appropriateness. Page 12 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

13 Records of Reasonable Adjustment requests are incorporated into unit review processes. 11. Appeals If a Centre or a learner is dissatisfied with a decision made by Open Awards in relation to a request for a reasonable adjustment or for special consideration, the Head of Centre should in the first instance, contact Open Awards to discuss the matter informally as they may often be resolved at this stage. If the matter cannot be resolved informally then a formal enquiry should be made to the following address: Head of Quality and Standards Open Awards, Estuary Business Park 17 De Havilland Drive, Speke, Liverpool, L24 8RN For more information, please refer to the Open Awards Enquiries and Appeals Policy and Procedures available on our website. 12. Monitoring and review Open Awards will review this policy bi-annually as part of its self-evaluation arrangements and revise it as and when necessary in response to customer and learner feedback, changes in its practices, advice from the regulatory authorities or external agencies, changes in legislation, or trends identified from previous instances of malpractice or maladministration. In addition, this policy may be updated in light of operational feedback to ensure our arrangements for dealing with suspected cases of malpractice and maladministration remain effective. 13. Related documents This document is linked to the following Open Awards documents: Centre Recognition Agreement Centre Handbook Access to HE Provider Handbook Enquiries, Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedures Equality and Diversity Policy Malpractice and Maladministration Policy Safeguarding Policy Sanctions Policy 14. Regulatory Requirements Page 13 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

14 The Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy is designed to fulfil the requirements of our regulators. In particular: Ofqual General Conditions of Recognition E4 Ensuring an assessment is fit for purpose and can be delivered G2 Language of the assessment G3 Use of language and stimulus materials G6 Arrangements for Reasonable Adjustments G7 Arrangements for Special Consideration G8 Completion of the assessment under the required conditions G9 Delivering the assessment H1 Marking the assessment H2 Moderation where an assessment is marked by a Centre H5 Results for a qualification must be based on sufficient evidence I1 Appeals process QAA AVA Licensing Criteria Standardisation and moderation 92, 93, 96, 99 Moderator reporting 110 Originator: Head of Quality and Standards Date of latest review: June 2018 Date of last approval: June 2018 Approved by: Open Awards Management Team Review interval: Bi-annual Next review due by: June 2020 Page 14 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

15 Part B: Procedures for Reasonable Adjustments Stages of the process Open Awards has defined five stages in the process for reasonable adjustments. Stage 1: Identifying need Identification of need Evidencing need Proposal Agreement Implement Centres should ensure that learners receive accurate information about the qualification/units to make sure their needs will be met. Prior to registration, centres should undertake an initial assessment of potential learners to make appropriate professional judgments about the learner s potential to successfully complete the assessments and achieve at the appropriate level. As part of this process, centres may identify that a learner will require support or reasonable adjustments to be made to enable them to be assessed fairly and this should be discussed with the learner. In certain instances, the need for reasonable adjustments may not be identified at the outset. In order to ensure fair access to assessment, Centres should endeavour to identify the need for reasonable adjustments at the earliest opportunity. Stage 2: Evidencing need Identification of need Evidencing need Proposal Agreement Implement In order to ensure that any adjustment to assessment does not give the learner an unfair advantage over others, the centre must be clear about the extent to which the learner is affected by the disability or difficulty. The Centre must ensure that all applications for reasonable adjustments are based on the individual need of the learner and that the evidence in support of the application is sufficient, reliable and valid. Suitable evidence may include: The centre s assessments of the learner s needs History of provision within the centre Medical Certificate Psychological or other professional assessment/report Page 15 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

16 The centre should decide which evidence will best assist understanding of the learner s circumstances. Stage 3: Proposal for reasonable adjustment Identification of need Evidencing need Proposal Agreement Implement The centre must ensure that they record all considerations for reasonable adjustments on the appropriate Open Awards paperwork. Depending on the details of the reasonable adjustment and method of assessment (as outlined in section 8 of the policy), some proposals can be permitted at the discretion of the centre, whilst other proposals require the centre to apply to permission from Open Awards. Permitted at the discretion of the centre The centre must complete Form RA1, ensuring that in making any adjustments they have read and understood the guidance provided by Open Awards. The form must be completed and signed by the assessor and approved by the internal verifier. Permission must be sought from Open Awards Strict regulations apply to the implementation of externally set and externally marked assessments taken under examination conditions. If reasonable adjustments are required for any learners taking a qualification assessed in this manner you must obtain approval from Open Awards. The centre must complete Form RA2 as soon as possible after the need has been identified, and in any event at least 20 working days before the assessment is due to be taken. For short courses lasting less than 20 working days, centres are advised to complete Form RA2 as soon as possible Supporting evidence must be provided this may include one or more of the following: The centre s assessments of the learner s needs History of provision within the centre Medical certificate Psychological or other professional assessment/report The form and supporting evidence must be uploaded via the Secure Portal for consideration by Open Awards Head of Quality and Standards. Page 16 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

17 Stage 4: Agreement Identification of need Evidencing need Proposal Agreement Implement Where reasonable adjustments are permitted at the discretion of the centre Form RA1 must be completed and signed by the assessor and approved by the internal verifier. The Centre must keep a record the details of all reasonable adjustments made and make this available for inspection by Open Awards staff during external verification together with all of the following: The modified assessment details/task The evidence of need The assessment evidence that has been generated by the learner The internal verification records of the assessment decision Evidence that the evidence has been included in any internal standardisation events. Failure to retain appropriate records may be considered to be malpractice and result in sanctions being placed on the centre. Reasonable adjustment should be put in place before the learner starts the assessment. Where reasonable adjustment permission must be sought from Open Awards The Head of Quality and Standards will consider your application (Form RA2 and supporting documentation) and give you a decision within 10 working days. We will inform you if we will be unable to reach a decision in this timescale. Stage 5: Implementation Identification of need Evidencing need Proposal Agreement Implement Centres must ensure that the reasonable adjustments are strictly implemented in accordance with the agreed proposal. Records must be kept for audit purposes for all cases whether they have allowed learners to have Reasonable Adjustments. These records are classed as assessment records and should be kept for at least 3 years from the end of the year to which they relate. Page 17 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018

18 Part C: Procedure for Special Considerations Open Awards has defined a four stage procedure for special considerations: Stage 1: Reviewing eligibility Review eligibility Alert Open Awards Apply Decision Where a learner has temporarily experienced an illness or injury, or some other event outside of their control which has had or is reasonably likely to have had an effect on their ability to take an assessment or on their level of attainment in an assessment, the centre can apply for special consideration. The centre must review the Special Considerations Policy Statement to consider whether the circumstances are covered by the Open Awards policy. Stage 2: Alert Open Awards Review eligibility Alert Open Awards Apply Decision Centre must inform Open Awards of any requests for special consideration within 48 hours of becoming aware of the mitigating/adverse circumstances occurring. Stage 3: Applying for special consideration Review eligibility Alert Open Awards Apply Decision Form SC1 - Request for Special Consideration must be completed by the assessor and countersigned by the internal verifier for each for each learner requesting special consideration. The form must be uploaded to the Secure Portal together with any supporting evidence or documentation within seven working days of the end of the assessment period. A separate form should normally be completed for each learner for each unit or qualification. However, in cases where a group of learners has been disadvantaged by a particular event (for example a fire alarm) a single form should be submitted. A list of learners affected should be included with the application. Stage 4: Decision Review eligibility Alert Open Awards Apply Decision Open Awards will consider each case on its individual merits and inform the centre of its decision within five working days of the form being uploaded to the Secure Portal. Page 18 of 18 Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy and Procedures v13.0 August 2018